


Demons in My Head

by starmelee



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: BillDip, Bipper, But I have some sort of originality in there, Demon and Demon Hunter, F/F, Here we go, I'm actually going to post this, I'm still considering things, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, So I have a plan for this I swear, Violence won't be that bad I'm just covering all my bases here, kinda like supernatural, oh jeez, okay, time to sin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-07-26 12:45:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7574524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starmelee/pseuds/starmelee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper Pines was a practiced demon hunter. Carrying the family legacy left by his great uncles Ford and Stan had essentially been inevitable. His parents had no idea, his sister didn’t want it in her life, but he was attracted to the danger. </p><p>Is this too much for him to handle?</p><p>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!CURRENTLY ON HIATUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PROMISE I'LL BE BACK</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Let's Begin

**Author's Note:**

> Okay ya'll, here's how it goes. Read the tags (even though most of it is me just being a weirdo.) Read at your own risk. I'm not a graphic writer, but there are a few things that are gonna be heavy in later chapters. I WILL finish this. If I lose inspiration for a little while, don't be upset. I take constructive criticism, and if there's anything you think I need to tag, or anything you think I should remove a tag for, let me know and I'll review it! Enjoy my first GF fic, and my first demon/hunter AU fic!

Dipper Pines was a practiced demon hunter. Carrying the family legacy left by his great uncles Ford and Stan had essentially been inevitable for him. His parents had no idea, his sister didn’t want it in her life, and he was attracted to the danger. He was attracted to the idea of exploring the world, yet with purpose instead of wandering aimlessly. He was saving the world by killing things that most people didn’t even know existed. It was as honorable as it was non paying, however. 

This led him to performing the art of gambling (of which his Grunkle Stan had made sure he was an expert) as well as writing. He had created so many guides to the supernatural world that he was often asked questions by hunters starting out about his work and how they could gain similar skills. He could never really answer them surely, since he assumed that everyone had their own method that worked for them. This prevented him from sharing his methods on studying and hunting demons. What he usually shared were small tips that were common knowledge among other, more experienced hunters. Those tips included things like how to pick up tracks or signatures, and how to differentiate real demon attacks from human and/or animal ones.

With his books selling, and his excellence in a game of poker, he had enough to keep himself afloat. Stan could not be prouder of him, though Ford was more proud of the books than he was the gambling, but what could he really do? Dipper had to keep himself stable enough to be able to travel, not only across the country, but around the whole world. Sometimes people would offer rewards when he specifically went out of his way to help those who called him, but he never really liked working that way.

Dipper had recently come to the conclusion that he was currently needed most in the lovely country of Canada, home to people who were pretty nice yet could kick someone’s ass if they needed to. (He hadn’t met many non-hunter Canadians.) He’d been noticing many instances of people getting pulled into comas. The only thing truly strange about it was the fact that the patients were actively walking around, even killing themselves after waking up. He was sure that this was a classic case of possession, especially since the people who weren’t even getting out of bed were receiving random wounds. In a couple of cases, the victim died of cardiac arrest after seizing violently, something Dipper knew was incredibly strange. Good thing strange was what he did for a living.

As a hunter, he knew that if he didn’t check this out soon some amateurs would try and it would result in their untimely death. He didn’t want to feel responsible for that, especially since he remembered the arrogance of being a newbie. You never think that you’re going to be the one whose bones are being burned by a friend, and then it happens. Dipper had been that friend once, and the experience changed him permanently. For better or worse, he honestly could not say no matter how long he thought about it for. The only reason why he had put so much thought into this case was because he had a sinking feeling on who this demon may have been. He had called Ford beforehand, just so that if he did end up in trouble someone would know where he was. This demon was highly dangerous, any amount of carelessness could result in his instantaneous death. 

Dipper was by no means a careless hunter. He had multiple tattoos of which protected him from various mental attacks such as mind control, illusionary magic, possession, and a wide range of other magical cloaks. They covered his back, chest, arms, upper thighs, and even had one or two tattooed behind each of his ears. There was no rock that Dipper did not turn, he and Ford had made sure of this. These tattoos had undoubtedly saved his life more times than other human beings had, though that wasn’t saying much because Dipper spent a lot of time hunting on his own. The magic imbued in the ink allowed for all sorts of protection, the artist one of the last in a long line of casters. However, due to magic having the inevitable curse of fading over time, he got them redone annually. It wasn’t bad, especially since he’d almost grown completely numb to the pain. Once you get stabbed by a sharpened set of harpy claws, you get over any other pain fairly quickly.

Returning to the original topic, Dipper had speculated who the demon was. As a demon that could only be summoned if he had a decent amount of believers, Bill Cipher, a demon of dreams and the mind, would do anything he had to in order to take over what once was his from the moment he was summoned. Dipper had never written anything about Bill in his published books, however he and Ford had spent years compiling information and writing it in a series of journals. 

As family heirlooms, these journals were crucial guides to every new generation of hunters in the Pines family. The newest hunter in the Pines family received one to write in on the day they went on their first hunt. So far, there was a total of twelve journals, three of them belonging to Ford. He had only recently finished the third one with the help of Stan. They had gone on a voyage together that had lasted three years, and during that time he had completed it. They’d seen and taken down various amounts of sea demons, like sirens, mer people, and even a previously undiscovered species of demon, who they decided to call cetus, in honor of the Greeks. That made no sense to Dipper, since a cetus was supposed to be the size of a shark or whale. Though, they were undeniably interesting little things. In fact, they would be practically harmless if it weren’t for their incredible ability to jump out of the water and engulf someone’s head in their mouth of razor sharp teeth. 

Ford, Stan, and Dipper had spent years trying to mask Bill’s existence to the world. However, it was a next to impossible task due to Bill’s incredible influence on the old civilizations. This meant many historical texts that included the details on how to summon him. If someone did just the right amount of internet research, they could easily find out the ritual and all of its components. Once it reached one person, it was spread to others who abused it and allowed the demon to gain power. Even though his influence would never grow to be as great as it was, Bill was not a force to ignore under any circumstance. If he was in any way attempting to spread his influence again, it was up to Dipper to stop him for the next fifty years. Ford was a phone call away if he needed information, but Dipper had memorized the ritual to send him back to where he belonged. No amount of summoning would allow him to return for another fifty years. The only faulty thing about this process was that it could only be performed after Bill had made it back to the mortal world. 

Dipper wasn’t sure what was going to happen once he got to Canada. He had decided to drive instead of fly, since he had already been in New England attempting to assist a woman with a sprite infestation. She was a good lady, and gave him plenty of supplies for his drive. Now, knowing Bill’s unpredictability, there were a number of things that could happen during his investigation of the comatose patients. The current situations he was mulling over were,

1: It could actually be Bill, and he would need to see if he could find a pattern with the victims of his possession and trap him, expel his soul from the person’s body, and then banish his ass to hell once more. 

2: He could die attempting to do the first thing. (Least ideal)

3: It could be some vengeful spirit trying to get back at the hospital for not saving them. (100% ideal)

4: It could be a staff member staging these events. (Highly unlikely)

He didn’t know what he would think of it being a vengeful spirit. It was nothing salt and fire couldn’t fix, but if it was powerful enough to possess multiple people over such a short period of time, then it could be a lot more complicated. Though, spirits like that were rarer than seeing a unicorn. That was why he and Ford had decided it had to be Bill; no other being was truly powerful enough to pull this off.

Dipper couldn’t say he’d been more terrified in his life.


	2. Odd Happenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he pulled up to the hospital, he realized that hospital was a heavy overstatement. It was more like an office building that had been converted into one really big nurse’s office. He didn’t even have to go inside to feel a heavy wave of magic wash over him. There was no doubt now; Bill Cipher had made himself known through the abuse of comatose patients.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is pretty short, but I'm not combining it with chapter three because I posted one and two on the same day.

When he pulled up to the building, he realized that the word ‘hospital’ was a heavy overstatement. It was more like an office building that had been converted into one large nurse’s office. He had barely pulled in a parking spot within twenty yards of the building when a heavy wave of magic washed over him. There was no doubt now; Bill Cipher had made himself known through the abuse of comatose patients. He most likely made deals with them at some point during their pre-coma lives, and was now just taking them out and using their bodies to do as he pleased. This was the first appearance he’d made since he disappeared after trying to completely force Ford from his body, twenty years before Dipper was born, thirty years prior. This was where all of Ford’s information on Bill had come from. 

Ford, himself, had disappeared after a deal with Bill went wrong. This banishment ended the year Dipper and Mabel had turned twelve. During that time Stan took his identity and opened up shop in Gravity Falls, since demonic activity there was incredibly high. Stan had later discovered a spell of which summoned Ford back from where he’d been imprisoned by a few of Bill’s demon followers. At first things were rough, but slowly the brothers had reconnected and found their rhythm, enough so to go on their three year voyage together. During that time, Soos, a soft-hearted man, ran the shop with his girlfriend Melody. They were both experienced and relentless hunters, despite being such kind, and generally gentle people.

He could feel the influence of Bill prodding at his mind, attempting to get a taste of what he was like. Dipper’s car was just about as protected as his body, thankfully. It was most likely the only thing that protected him before he had the chance to steel his mind completely. Before he got out of his car, he checked his phone to see if his service worked or not. After finding that it did, he shot Mabel a quick text message, just to tell her that he was doing okay. He then moved on to tell Ford that he had arrived and that he was going to do a quick sweep of the place. He just wanted to see if he could pinpoint where Bill was currently, though he sincerely doubted it would be that easy. After getting approval from his great uncle, he slipped a specially crafted gun into his jacket and got out of his car. Striding into the building, his eyes scanned the waiting room with a precision that most ordinary people lacked. There were two people sitting near the entrance doors. A pair of adult women, probably ten or so years older than him. One was asleep, her head on the other’s shoulder. The other was awake and reading a book. Upon noticing that they were holding hands, Dipper felt his gaze soften, if only slightly. They must’ve been there because of a family member or dear friend. 

The only other person in the room was a man sitting at the front desk. He’d been staring blankly at Dipper since he’d walked in, probably waiting to hear whatever ridiculous story was inevitably going to come out of his mouth. Upon approaching the desk, Dipper placed his hands on the edge. “I’d like to visit Michael Halstrom.” He said. 

The man at the front desk looked away from Dipper and typed something in the dinosaur of a computer that he had to his left. “And what’s your relation to this man?” He asked in a dull voice. Jeez, who poured salt in this guy’s cereal? Dipper could practically hear Mabel’s laughter as if she was right next to him. That was their most favorite thing in the whole world to say when they noticed someone grumpy. Mabel’s personal favorite saying was ‘Do you think his ex took the dog?’

“He’s a good friend of mine and I’d heard that something occurred with him last night. He’s one of the coma patients here.” He had a worried frown on his face. He had grown fairly good at acting; high school drama club had done something for him after all. Well, besides providing him with the everlasting status of a super nerd among his fellow students.

The guy sighed, shaking his head and putting a clipboard in front of Dipper. “Listen, I’m not supposed to do this, but put yourself as his brother. Kid’s name is Devon. It’s supposed to be family only per his mother’s request, but she’s actually insane, so I’m going to let you slide. I honestly don’t give a damn if I’m fired, because this is the worst job I’ve ever had.”

Dipper resisted the urge to laugh, signing Devon Halstrom on the sheet and putting the date. Once he’d obtained the floor and room number, he took the stairs up to the room. He’d always hated elevators as a child, and the fear of them had only been drilled into him by Stan and Ford. Upon entering the room, he almost staggered back from pure shock and disgust. There was blood everywhere, organs, chunks of flesh and limbs scattered across the room. The once pure white curtains were an alarming shade of red, the floor shimmered with droplets and trails of blood. After snapping some pictures, he got a couple of nurses. One turned green, then a ghostly white, and promptly passed out. The other, who was quite older, winced, shuddered, but picked up the other nurse. She called the police after setting her coworker on a bench, advising Dipper to stay where he was so he could be questioned. 

Of course, the demon hunter wasn’t about to leave for any reason. He examined the room with a sharp and calculating gaze, trying to ignore the heavy, coppery scent that wafted around him. It appeared to be self combustion. If not, then Bill had just gone to town on this guy and thrown body parts everywhere. In order to do that, however, he had to have possessed someone else. That meant either another patient in this hospital was bloodied up and still in the building, or Bill truly did cause this guy’s body to explode. He honestly couldn’t tell which would be worse. 

He took another picture and sent it to Ford, explaining what he thought had happened. Just after, he saw police cars pull in and he put his phone away, slipping it in his sweatshirt pocket. He sat down on a bench in the hallway and watched as some nurses scuttled to a room further down the hall. He tried his hardest to muster up as many horrible feelings as he could. Usually thinking about that time Mabel fell and split her leg open did it for him. They never walked on the rocks after that incident again, mostly because Dipper refused to let her. He was always the more sensitive of the two, especially when it came to Mabel getting hurt in any way.

With a pale face, and carefully placed stutters, he talked to the police officers who had come to the scene. He explained how he had just been here to see a dear friend, and how he had only opened the door and immediately gotten a couple of staff members. The two nurses agreed with his statement, and the police told him to leave, advising against alerting any sort of news station. He didn’t want to be in trouble with the police, so he took off immediately. He had gotten what he needed for the day anyway. It was time to reflect upon what he learned and figure out how he was going to take care of this. Facing Bill Cipher was something he’d dreaded from the moment Ford told him about the spell to seal him away, he knew that he was going to be stuck using it eventually.

Despite his highly trained senses, Dipper failed to notice the triangle that had been etched into the palm of his right hand. He wouldn’t notice it, either. At least, not until it was too late.


	3. You've Got Yourself a Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What kind of game are you playing, Cipher? Why are you killing all of these people?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you tell me I'm pushing my plot speed, and talk about how short this is, let me tell you this: I totally am, and it totally is. This is on purpose, because we are going to be learning a lot about Dipper in these upcoming (super long!) chapters! Now, it's going to be horrible for me, but hopefully wonderful for you. I've already got the next couple of chapters typed out (I'm waiting for my editor who's really bad at her job) and they'll be out to you soon! I'm thinking two updates a week, maybe one once school picks up.

The next day, Dipper returned to the hospital where he was surprised to find the same guy as yesterday sitting at the counter, boredly chewing gum. He gave Dipper the same bored up and down look that he had given him the day before. “Can I help you?” The bubble he’d been working on suddenly popped, and he pulled the gum back into his mouth. At least he wasn’t an obnoxious chewer, like Wendy used to be. 

“Yeah, I uh, I came in yesterday and I-” He cut himself off upon the raised eyebrow he was being given. “Did I not?” Why didn’t this man remember him? It had been only yesterday, he was sure of it. There was no way in hell this guy could have forgotten about him, especially after Michael legitimately blew up in his own room and Dipper had been the one to find him. One does not forget a traumatic event like that, it was simply impossible.

“I don’t remember you coming in, and I had an eight hour shift yesterday. I cover all of the weekday visiting hours. Are you okay sir?” He asked in a monotone voice. Oh yes, Dipper could practically feel the sincerity coming from that question dripping in the air. He never understood how people could be so expressionless. Though, living with a rainbow-glitter-explosion like Mabel really warped his views on creativity and spirit.

What he was more focused on at the moment was the fact that this guy didn’t remember him. He had shown no signs of short term memory loss or anything of the sort previously, and he didn’t think a hospital would even hire someone like that. Remembering people who came in and out was important for a job like this, right? Had Bill erased everyone’s memory of the event? How was he that powerful already? These issues had only emerged a couple of weeks ago! He needed to tell Ford immediately, maybe get some help. He wasn’t sure if he could take a demon with such an unbelieveable power gain like this by himself. 

“Yes, I must’ve just had a dream or something and not have even realized it. I’m actually here to visit Margaret Howard, she’s a comatose patient here.” He may as well take advantage to investigate further. Investigation was his first priority, but if Bill had been erasing the memories of the people here, then how had he gotten news of the occurrences with the patients? How had Ford also caught wind of it from another hunter? Had he? Was this just an illusion? His head was starting to spin with all the questions and details he hadn’t even thought about before. 

The man clicked his way through several things on the same dinosaur of a computer. Now that Dipper really thought about it, shouldn’t they have more high-tech equipment? There seemed to be some decent technology in Michael’s room, from what he remembered. Shouldn’t that extend to other computers and such around the whole hospital? His thoughts were interrupted by the room number and floor being told to him, and that same clipboard being shoved in front of him. The signature from the day before had vanished; he could tell because the one that had been above it was still there. Same date, same name.

He started his way towards Margaret’s room. Would she be just as badly mutilated? As far as he knew nothing had happened to her yet. He peaked in the room and took a seat next to her intact vessel. The soft hum and beeps of the machines hooked up to her cadaverous body kept the room from being drowned in silence, something Dipper appreciated. He could never think in complete silence. He tried to call Ford, but found that he had no service. This was just getting stranger and stranger by the moment, and he was not appreciating it in the slightest. Everything that was happening… what the hell was this? 

He looked around the room. The windows were open, the curtains a pale blue. A television coated in dust was sitting on a stand attached to the wall above a table with what he assumed to be a bag of her clothing and belongings. The air wasn’t right, in Dipper’s opinion. Something didn’t smell right. It was like- Suddenly, he heard the sound of fire alarms go off, sending him right out of the chair he’d sat in. Quickly, he rushed to the source of the odd smell, and found that it had been smoke. Flames licked at the door to the room next door to Margaret’s, and a nurse sprayed at them with the fire extinguisher until the room was a mess of white cream and thick, black smoke. Quickly, a nurse ran in and checked on the patient. However, there was no one in the bed. For a moment she stood, dazed. How could a coma patient get up and walk away? She ran to open a window to wait, just in case the smoke was just blocking her view. As soon as she looked outside, she jerked away from the window and shrieked. Dipper watched from the door as she pointed to the window, her body shaking the way it had before she passed out the day before. Immediately, he took off running down the stairs. He ran outside to find the body of a child. A little boy, probably no older than ten, to be precise. Blood coated the sidewalk as his body drained through his various wounds, the worst being his completely obliterated skull. There was no possible way he’d survived.

This time, when the police came, they ignored him. He sat in with Margaret again, a hand running through his hair. What was going on here? What was Bill getting out of this? He sunk down in his seat and stared at the ceiling before allowing himself another look at Margaret. “What kind of game are you playing, Cipher? Why are you killing all of these people?” He asked out loud, placing his elbows on his knees and pressing on the back of his neck with his hand. It was tense already. He knew that the headaches he’d be getting were going to be intense. Probably enough that he’d need to make that extra strength medicine that Stan taught him to make. How he’d come up with the idea for the stuff, Dipper did not know. All he knew was that it worked like a drea-

“Well, Dipper,” he suddenly heard a woman’s voice with a slight echo, an underlying voice, causing his head to shoot up, and a hand to reach for the gun inside of his jacket. 

“Ah ah ah, hold your horses.” The whites of her eyes were yellow, and black slits made up the pupils. He knew that he was talking to Bill now, not Margaret. “I doubt you’d want to shoot an innocent woman. She’s still here, getting her end of our deal fulfilled.” A grin splayed itself on her (his?) face. The teeth were unnaturally abundant and sharp, something Dipper was sure was an illusion. “I just came to answer your questions. Isn’t that what you wanted, Pine Tree?” 

So he’d taken notice of the logo on Dipper’s sweatshirt and pendant. Mabel had made it for him since Wendy had his hat. He still had hers, of course. It hadn’t left his car since he bought the piece of junk upon turning sixteen. He saved for years to get it, not to mention the insurance he needed for it. She lasted him though, that was all he could ask for. This was Bill time though, not nostalgia hour. “How are you doing this? Why?” He asked, ignoring Bill’s previous inquiry. 

“All of these people were miserable. They have been stuck in these comatose states for ages. I simply accessed their mindscapes and made deals with them in exchange for complete control over their bodies when I pleased. As for why, well,” the grin turned sinister, “you see, I’ve been watching you since you started hunting. You’re phenomenal. A worthy opponent. I want you to play my game, so I set this up to get you here. A wonderful attention grabber, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Dipper’s eyes widened. Why had Bill wanted him? Well, he’d explained that, but he still couldn’t understand. There were hunters far more advanced than him in skill. He just wrote the books and answered the questions. He and Ford were always working together to try and keep the demon hunting community as aware as they could be. Maybe it had something to do with Ford? No, that couldn’t be right. Ford couldn’t be that much of an attention grabber. No offense to him, of course, but Bill had made thousands of deals in his lifetime, why would Ford’s change the game?

“I will stop all of this, and wake up all of these coma patients if you agree to play, which means me getting access to your head. I’ll even let you go if you win.” Bill said at last, a devious smirk replacing his previously sinister look. “What do you say Pine Tree? Do we have a deal?” Margaret’s hand extended towards him, and suddenly it went up in blue flames. The flames of a binding contract.

Dipper thought over how he’d been keeping up with Ford. HIs uncle knew where he was, Ford would come and help him, if not contact others to help. He also thought of the last text messages he sent his sister and parents. His thoughts moved to these peoples’ families and how they were missed. He was one person, these were several people. Majority rules, especially when you’re a hunter.

He took the bony hand and gave it a firm shake, his own igniting in magical flames. He could feel the tingle of magic as it flashed through his whole body. He could only pray that this wasn’t the biggest mistake he’d ever make. “Bill Cipher, you’ve got yourself a deal.”


	4. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper realizes that his mind is a very dangerous place in the wrong hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little late with this chapter, since I like to post on Sundays, but I slept in and then lost all concept of time. And by slept in I mean I slept until 4:30 PM. Grand, I know. Anyway, I'm going to try and keep this thing as cliche as possible, since that seems to be the direction I'm rolling in. Also, I don't realize the lengths of these chapters until I post them, so I'm really sorry they're short. I swear they're going to get longer once I get less patient! Plus, the upcoming (super) short chapter is from Bill's perspective, and will be posted tomorrow, Tuesday August 2nd. So I do post twice a week, cut me some slack. Enjoy the chapter, and read the notes!

Dipper awoke in pitch darkness, a chill seeping into his bones. His hand burned like someone was sticking a hot poker on his flesh. Lifting it to his face with minimal protest from his arm, he saw a triangle of shining gold had been burned into the back of his hand. With a small hiss of annoyance, he came to a stand. There was no visible light, nothing to even base his location off of. Nothing as to clue him into the landscape. The ground below him gave his body no feeling, almost creating the effect of floating in the sky. He couldn’t see anything but the triangle seared into his skin. What was this? What was Bill playing at? He knew that he signed up for a game, but how was pitch blackness relevant?

“Dipper Pines, or, Pine Tree,” Bill’s voice echoed around him. What was this, a bad horror movie? “I bet you’re wondering where you are, and what you’re doing, and how this is relevant to what I want from you, huh?” Suddenly the triangular terror himself appeared before him, shining with his own horrible, yet relieving golden light. So much good it did though, the light just seemed to be engulfed in darkness as it was being emitted. 

“Does it matter?” He asked, running a freezing hand through his hair. His whole body shuddered at the invasion of his head’s warmth. So the legends of Bill being a literal triangle were actually true? Well, that’s what Ford had told him, so he guessed that he shouldn’t have really doubted it. Still, it was quite… odd to see him in person. A two dimensional, cool ranch Dorito was an all-powerful demon who caused the rise and fall of countless civilizations, the deaths of millions. A Dorito. Seriously?

Bill continued as if Dipper hadn’t said anything at all. “Well, the only way to really test you is to see how well you do at my own game.” He shifted into the form of a human, his one eye glistening the same horrible gold as his hand. His suit retained the patterns of his triangle self, his pants being black like his legs. A triangular eyepatch covered his right eye, his skin was golden (not literally, thankfully.) His hair was styled in a blonde undercut, however everything shaved was a dark brown. He was monstrously tall, at least seven and a half feet as opposed to Dipper’s six feet and two inches. “I’m going to force you through a series of situations. These situations are based on your fears from when you were a child to now.” A devilish smirk revealed he had sharp fangs. How cliche. Honestly, Dipper couldn’t find it in himself to be scared. He was just curious as to how such an ancient power could be so… childish? 

“What’s the point in making me go through fears I’ve since gotten over?” He questioned, an eyebrow raised. Every single fear? How was that possible? He could only fear things as long as he understood the concept, so probably right around kindergarten or preschool. He barely remembered that point in time, let alone what he was afraid of. “How are you accessing these?”

Bill laughed, floating face to face with him. “Pine Tree, your mind retains all information that you register at a given moment. Your brain is one big archive of every sensation, of every occurrence in your life!” As he spoke, he floated away and spread his arms, a cane appearing in his left hand. “You puny humans can’t remember all of it, but it’s there. I’m simply using this to my advantage, as I always do when making deals. I must admit, yours was a pain to go through. All of those wards you have printed on your body are as extremely persistent as they are irritating.” 

Bless those tattoos. 

He tapped the top of Dipper’s head with his cane. “As for you having already gotten over them, well, you’ll see.” He laughed. ”Or, you won’t.” Then Bill was gone, the absence of the demon’s glimmer causing the darkness to wash over the hunter once again. “Go ahead Pine Tree, walk around.” Bill’s voice echoed across the immeasurably large space once more. He might as well follow the demon’s instructions. Plus, this was his own mind. He couldn’t forget that even though Bill had mastered the mindscape, this was still Dipper’s head. No one understood it better than himself.

Dipper felt a sense of unease seep into his bones. Without a weapon or even a flashlight he felt naked, and not in a fun way. It was kind of horrible, really. He could slowly sense his bearings disappearing. Apparently, his mind simply didn’t understand what the other part of his mind knew; that he was safe. This reality was an illusion. He just needed to remember to keep his head on and breeze through whatever tricks were up Bill’s sleeve. 

He took a step forward, and another, and then another. Soon enough, he was just walking around. There really was no limit to this space, as far as he could tell. It was pretty impressive, though slightly unsettling. However, he got the feeling that something other than Bill was lurking in this vastness. He was being watched by more than one set of eyes. 

Just as he noticed it, something took a leap at him. He heard it before anything, and quickly reacted with a dive to his right, which ended up being a roll that allowed him to land in a stand. 

“I give that one an 8.5 Pine Tree!” Bill’s voice echoed once more. “Just because you did so well, I’ll give you one object of your choosing to fight with! Personally, I’d choose my trusty cane. Though, you aren’t me!” He laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. What a strange being, truly. Not even trolls were on this level, and Dipper hated trolls.

Dipper mulled over his options for a few moments, a small smile appearing on his features. “It doesn’t have to be real, correct?” The questioned the demon aloud. Oh man, if it didn’t have to be, he knew exactly what he was going for. He was pure nerd at heart, something that he would never let himself live down after this was over, but this was an opportunity he may never get again. 

“As long as your mind understands how it works and what it’s supposed to do, you have access to it.” The demon said after a moment, his tone actually quite… curious. He had refrained from looking into Dipper’s active thoughts then, apparently. Perhaps he would do that the whole time, just to add an interested element to the so-called ‘game’. 

“Give me an accurately sized, and working, blue lightsaber then.” Not only is it a decent weapon, and not only is it a light source, but it’s badass! He got to use a lightsaber! Admittedly, it was all in his head, but it felt real enough for him to appreciate it while it lasted. Of course, he had to be specific so he wasn’t given some small, plastic toy. God, he hated when people psyched him out like that as a kid. He learned to be extra specific in wishes and in gift descriptions.

“C’mon Pine Tree! Why so specific?” The demon whined, although he complied. The weapon appeared in Dipper’s hand, and he couldn’t help but grin in excitement. It was even more perfect than he thought it would be!

He waved it around, adjusted to it’s weight before remembering why he’d wanted (and gotten) it in the first place. Quickly, he waved it around, secretly geeking out over it. Now where had that thing that lunged at him gone? It was important that he kept his senses sharp, because he was positive that if he died here, it would actually kill him. That brought him to another point; how did time pass here? What would he do if he woke up a hundred years later? He guessed he would have to find out by winning at this game. Fight his fears, get out, adjust to the time.

But what were his fears?

~

Every child has a point in their life where they undergo the passage of crippling fear as they walk to their bed at night, their guardian ready to turn off the light that would seal them in the darkness with the unknown. Humans have always feared the dark; it was why they sought light in everything they did. Some strayed from their path to that light and turned to greed and power, their wants growing with their increasing fears that their life will be snuffed out like the very candle they once sought. Bill picked on this greed, used it to his advantage to tear people up from the inside out, and leave them as only a shell of their former selves. This was the very plan Bill had for Dipper. He would find what hurt him most and use it against him. One thing was for sure- Dipper was not making it out of this the same way. 

When he and his sister were seven, Dipper was terrified of hanging any kind of limb off the side of his bed, for fear that something was going to bite it off. Once their parents had given their good night kisses and told their stories, they left the room, lights off. Of course, their parents were well acquainted with Dipper’s fear of monsters- giggle- in the night. They’d gifted the twins with a nightlight, but that only made things worse on Dipper’s end when he’d end up staring at it for hours on end, trying to ignore how scared he was. Now Dipper could take down a monster no problem. Kind of ironic, wasn’t it? 

People fear what they don’t understand, but they also fear what they can’t control, what they can’t fight. Dipper knew he tended to be a bit of a control freak every now and then, and Bill knew that too. Bill knew why. Actually, now that he had access to Dipper’s mind, Bill knew everything about his favorite hunter. How his mother used to make him do embarrassing dances as a kid, he knew that Dipper wanted to die helping the world, he knew that Dipper’s real name was-

Oh! Would you look at that! It seemed like the kid had figured out what exactly was happening in this scenario already. Time for things to get a little, just a little, WEIRD. 

Bill’s laugh echoed in Dipper’s head as the demon thought up a few extra special twists on the hunter’s worst nightmares. Let’s see, clowns with razor sharp teeth, elongated limbs, and- why not- honks whenever they take a step. Give the kid a little warning. Hmmm… preying mantis? Seriously Dipper? They were the cutest insects out there! Devoured whatever they could in the blink of an eye. Patient creatures, too. Why not enlarge one, add some venom, and he could be invisible in one of Pine Tree’s eyes! Yes! Though, that wouldn’t be very effective in the dark… Oh well! Oh! He should throw in a good ol’ classic, just for the hell of it. One of the wild things from Where the Wild Things Are? Coming right up! Humming an ironically cheerful tune, Bill brought the creatures to life just as he imagined them. He was getting so invested in this that Dipper might actually die before he could get to the good part! Of course, he was not, by any means, going to underestimate the subject of his torture.

He sighed, clearly pleased with himself. This was going to be the best game he’d played in years, no matter what his Pine Tree thought. Even if he did lose, he wanted to have as much fun with it as he could. What demon wouldn’t?


	5. Focus, Dipper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An image of Mabel giving him an inspirational cat sticker popped into his head, and he laughed quietly.
> 
> If he was laughing, what’s the worst that could happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'd like to thank everyone for the feedback about my updating schedule. This is a little under 1500 words, but I like to leave things off in decent places. I already mindlessly ramble enough as it is, so I didn't want to throw more garbage in there for length. I'm totally excited for later in the series, and it's hard to keep my mouth shut about it! Also, continue to read my notes please! It's crucial for future chapters!

The atmosphere shifted before Dipper could catch up. Lights and sounds were suddenly filling his eyes and ears, blinking only once, he found himself in a stadium of gold. Humans and demons alike cheered and roared with excitement. But excitement for what? What was going on? It suddenly dawned on him that we was in the stadium, that he was the main event. Or, a part of it anyway. Where was Bill going with this? Why was he just messing around? Wasn’t Bill known to be a master of mental torture? Is this someone simply masquerading as him, or is it actually him just fooling around because he didn’t take Dipper seriously?

“Pine Tree! Don’t you know what a game is? I’m here to play until I win! I mean, trust me, you wouldn’t want to win. Waking up after I’m done with you is going to be the scariest part of the ordeal!” He laughed, the stadium going quiet as he stuck one hand up. He was still in his ‘human’ form. It was clear that Dipper would never consider Bill a human being in any right. Who would? He was a psychotic demon that liked to play with people’s heads until they had nothing left but desperation to escape. 

He tortured, and laughed, but in the end Dipper was just another plaything. Every human being was a plaything to Bill, when it came down to it. That’s what Ford had told him, and it seemed to ring true thus far. He was having so much fun laughing and wreaking havoc on Dipper’s mind, and this was only the beginning. It was kind of funny, in all reality. Had someone told him that he was going to make a deal with Bill Cipher ten or eleven years ago, he would have laughed in their faces and went, “YEAH right! As if I’d ever be dumb enough to make a deal with Bill Cipher!” 

Even past him knew that he was being a damn idiot. 

“-AND NOW, LET US OBSERVE THE SPECTACLE THAT WILL BE PINE TREE VERSUS HIS CHILDHOOD FEARS, WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA.”

Wait, what did Bill say before that!? He should have been paying more attention! He sincerely needed to stop getting caught up in his thoughts. Hell, Bill would probably use those against him too. Darkness engulfed the stadium, leaving the lightsaber in his hand to be his only source of light. Suddenly, he was starting to sweat as adrenaline flooded his senses. He had to rely on his other senses in order to survive this. That was fine! He’d survived many situations like this before! (But at those times he actually knew what he was facing.) He just needed to keep his thoughts blank and let his body and reflexes do all the work. 

The sound of mechanisms working caught his attention immediately. There had to be three, at the very least. Three different areas being opened, three different monstrous opponents. He couldn’t let the fear control him, he just needed to focus on letting his body go through the motions. It would be easy, he’d been doing it for five years now. Well, more than that if all those years of training and practice hunts with his uncles counted. Yes. He would be fine as long as he stood strong in the face of his opponents. 

Stan’s words from the first day echoed in his mind, “Listen kid, once you get the hang of it, it’s easy. You just gotta let your body do the thinking for your head. You’re gonna be a natural.” 

Ford told him something the next year that was kind of similar. “Dipper, when you’re fighting a demon your body needs to remain in balance. Your body needs to have just as much control as your mind does, as impossible as that may seem. We’re both intellectuals, so I know the pain. However, once you get the necessary amount of practice, your body will take over. Some things will be automatic, but you must solidify the technique first.” 

He smiled at the respective memories, taking a deep breath. By then, he was in the middle of a triangle (haha Bill, how original) of enemies. Using the light from his (un)ironically chosen weapon, he got to work with examining his surroundings. WIth a gasp he quickly analysed the horrific creatures before him. He was not ready to see the twisted circus act. Not in a million years. He took a deep breath. Honking. Honking equaled that… thing. Okay. This was fine. He couldn’t tell if he’d actually shrieked at it or not, but if Bill’s laugh was any indication, he’d say he had. 

Inhaling sharply, he sheathed his weapon and used the dark to his advantage, taking what he assumed to be a safe route. Triangle vertices were horrible places to cut off an enemy. Squares were far more efficient for such things, but Dipper wouldn’t argue with the the demon’s obsession with the shape. This time it had saved his life, and he could only imagine what it would do in other cases. Either way, he was glad. He’d learned to take advantage of anything and everything he could in his time. (He thinks that as if it’s been a long one. Oh, how Stan would laugh at him.) Experience and pain were cruel but excellent teachers, in his experience, but he was a quick learner. Hopefully he’d adapt as fast to this reality, as impossible as he was sure Bill would make that. 

He heard a sort of… dripping sound, and a heavy breathing. One of the monsters was big, though assumably all of them were. He doubted Bill would be anything other than the ‘go big or go back to the nightmare realm’ kind of demon. It was just impossible for Dipper to think otherwise. He’d already proven himself to be extravagant in every other manner, so why not in the reinvention of Dipper’s fears? Point was, monsters all probably ten times the size of Dipper, and they could probably see in the dark anyway so he didn’t even understand why he bothered with attempting to use the area to his advantage. Everything he could even remotely think would be useful in the field wouldn’t apply here, and his frustration started to show in his swifter, less masked movements. 

He could see orbs, close enough to each other to most certainly be a pair of eyes. Horrible, beady bug eyes. He shook his head and took a deep breath. He was at a massive disadvantage, but he could use… well, all he had going for him was his weapon. The environment was useless, his size was feeble (unless he could use it to slide under the monsters, but he didn’t even know what they looked like as a whole,) his available distractions were none, and he couldn’t see his hand two inches from his face. He couldn't believe how screwed he was at the moment. He would probably rather be in hell. Literal hell, with actual Satan. Satan was probably more sympathetic than Bill was. 

 

He felt something in the air shift. His chest was moving quick with his breaths. He hadn't even realized that he'd been running. Though, now that he was getting tired, he was growing acutely aware to the burning of his legs and lungs. Anyone could tell when a person was panicking, and Dipper could most certainly tell he was starting to panic. Fear is such a hard thing to get over, but he needed to find a way to clear his head and fight. If he wanted to win and beat Bill at his own game, he had to steel himself emotionally and deflect any triggering trick. Most of this stuff couldn’t scare him now, if he really thought about it. He just needed to focus.

He took a deep breath, well, he tried to take a deep breath, and he stopped running. Closing his eyes, he focused on using his other senses to detect the creatures he was going to be engaging in battle. He could do this, he knew what he needed to do and he had his prior knowledge to give him the aid he needed. What he truly needed was courage. Just as the thought occurred, an image of Mabel giving him an inspirational cat sticker popped into his head, and he laughed quietly.

If he was laughing, what was the worst that could happen?


	6. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you ready for more, Pine Tree?”
> 
> “Of course I am.” Dipper responded, hand-on-hip. Oh, how Bill would prove him wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I missed last week's update, massively unprofessional. Good thing I don't do this for a living! Seriously though, I do apologize. I just started school today, so I stayed up extra late to finish this chapter. I do know it is short, but the next chapter I'm aiming for 2,000 words, since there's a lot of detail I'm putting into it. Next chapter's release date is currently unknown, as school work and such has been keeping me busy. However, you will get chapter 7 soon!
> 
> Enjoy, comment and give kudos! It's a big inspiration! P.S.- I've updated all the chapters including this one! I did swap some information around so please read back!

Bill watched Bill watched with disappointed fascination at his subject’s ability to laugh at a time like this. Where was the fear!? Where was the screaming and running in nervous panic? He couldn’t understand what Dipper possibly could have cleared his mind enough for to laugh at. He had never encountered a problem like this before, even in some of the strongest hunters. Honestly, he probably went a little more over the top because he wanted them dead as soon as possible, but this was different. There wasn’t even a hint of fear of Pine Tree’s face!!!!

A rush of irritation spread through him at the thought of Pine Tree laughing at him and everything that Bill had done to get here. Sure, it was a little out of the way from the plan he had when his influence had started to reappear, but when he found out about “Dipper Pines, fifth generation demon hunter extraordinaire,” he couldn’t resist the idea of taking a peak in the kid’s mind. Of course, he has his files locked tight and Bill needed a good distraction for him, something to force him out of consciously maintaining control over the thoughts in his head. Bill was only allowed to see the obvious stuff so far, like the origin of unicorns, or where the magical city of Atlantis really ended up. He already knew that, especially since he was the one to sink it! The Atlanteans were fools, for sure, if they didn’t see that one coming. Though, they seemed to have survived so they apparently did. He’d have to pay them a professional visit later on.

Bill gnawed viciously at his bottom lip with his fangs, enjoying the feeling it produced. Or, the feeling that he was making it produce with the basic senses that he could pull from Pine Tree. Oh, how he missed being human. HAHAHAHA. That idea was laughable all in itself. He had never been human, though he had spent time among them. What a strange society they were, but really much too bland for him to enjoy without spicing things up a little bit. That only got him in trouble with the time police more than once, and then that lead to the stupid Pines brothers banishing him back to his own dimension. Dicks.

He returned his active attention onto the arena, where Dipper seemed to be working his way behind one of Bill’s creations. Which one? He didn’t care. What he did care about was the fact that Dipper had his eyes closed, and he still had that stupid smile on his face! He wanted nothing more than to swipe it off himself, but that would be against the rules. Whatever, this fear is easy anyway. The next ones will be grueling trials, and unbelievable hardships. His eyes suddenly widened as Dipper brought his weapon across the monster’s head after jumping on it. Bill’s mantis was down on the ground, it’s head rolling away with a trail of thick, boiling blood in it’s wake. He could see that the hunter who had killed it was beyond pleased with himself, even though there were two monsters left. The sound of that thing dying would have done wonders to attract them.

His gaze was less than praising as he observed the careful movements of Dipper, and the sloppy and unorganized ones of his monsters. He supposed that he should have given them more advanced brains, but that would have made the mindless terror less appealing! No matter, the next fears should serve well in giving him a good slap to reality. Or, well, increase his dissociation with reality. After all, that was the true endgame; to break this kid and grind his soul into a pitiful pile of quaking dust. Not only would that help with regaining his once brilliant reputation among several races of demons, but it would give him an incredible power boost. Perhaps one strong enough to get past that pathetic plate in good ol’ Sixer’s head.

Bill had to get his revenge one way or another, and he believed that not only was torturing his nephew a wonderful way to add to the pain, but once the boy cracked, he would have countless things on his old nemesis. From names to aliases to addresses and phone numbers- it was going to be great! Just thinking about seeing the one who had sealed him away that long ago made him want to scream in total horrified excitement. Instead, his monsters did that for him.

There was one point that Bill called to his attention upon gaining access to a particularly disgusting memory of Dipper’s. It involved Stanford and Stanley, both of whom looked only vaguely older than they had upon their last meeting. How had they managed to stay alive for so long? Naturally Bill knew they were alive, otherwise he couldn’t have set this whole trap, but it had been fifty years since he was sealed away, and the pair of men didn’t look a day over fifty-five (like that’s a compliment.) What kind of magic had Sixer and his brother been using to stay alive like that? As far as Bill could tell way back when, Sixer and Fez had been in their late twenties, if not early thirties. How had they stopped aging in their fifties?

Gasp! Had they made a deal with another demon? No, they would never trust one. So what exactly had caused their pause in age? If they were imbued with some immortal magic thing that may make it a little harder to kill them. Maybe a fairy gave them a wish and their request was immortal life? Oh, nevermind that, he needed to check on Little Dipper.

The boy seemed to be fighting hard, seeing as he’d killed one of the monsters in just the time Bill had been thinking. Though, knowing himself, that could have been a long time. He still didn’t necessarily have a complete grasp on general time yet. Even as an all-powerful demon of the mind, he wasn’t the best at keeping track of things he didn’t care very much about. He’d been in the second dimension for a hundred years, why would he care about human time? He didn’t even have the giant ball of plasma and gas that resided near Earth to help him! He sighed and shook his head. He really loved that hot, miserable orb in the sky. People hated it, and he thought it was the best. Sure, it was a simple star, but it helped give birth to a world that he was allowed to exist in, as long as he destroyed peoples’ lives and ruined all of reality.

The stadium lit up once more, signalling the end of Dipper’s fight. The boy was streaked with blood of varying colors, and he was breathing heavily. Seemed like Bill’s creatures had barely been able to land a claw on him! How disappointing! With a huff, he sorted through Dipper’s other basic fears. Sure, there was much to work with, but nothing that would take too long for him to fight. Though, he could look beyond the fighting aspect of things and move to insecurities as well. Oh, there was most certainly plenty to work with there as well, and it was plenty juicy. So, he would have to save it for a time when Dipper least expected it. For now, he would throw some more mindless things at him and stall for a good time, then spring the harsher opponents on his when he gained confidence.

“Congratulations on completing the first battle!” Bill announced, bending at the waist to lean to Dipper’s face. After all, he was eight feet tall. “Are you ready for more, Pine Tree?” He grinned maliciously, his sharp teeth sparkling with the lights in the stadium.

“Of course I am.” Dipper responded, hand-on-hip. Oh, how Bill would prove him wrong. He would break Dipper until the kid knew just how insignificant he was in the grand scheme of Bill’s plan for the world.


	7. Be Prepared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Any person who had seen a movie knew that the villain of the story built up the protagonist to pure confidence, and then crushed them with everything they had. 
> 
> Dipper would not let this happen to him. He would stay aware, no matter what Bill threw at him, powerful enemies or not so powerful enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, I was reading over the kind words that I'd been given, and my friend has been trying to draw me back to writing for AGES. I never forgot about this fic, but I have been getting caught up in my own stuff. And, even though it's more like an intermission, I just wanted to make sure that you all knew that this IS still an active project. 
> 
> *This particular section will probably be edited later on for grammar and sentences that don't make sense, but I wanted to get this out ASAP.*
> 
> Love all you guys who've decided to stick with me! Keep the comments and kudos coming, it does wonders for my ego! 
> 
> In all seriousness, I plan to have a long apology chapter out soon.

For Dipper, it felt like years since he’d last seen the sun. Since he’d seen his real family. He’d been fighting relentlessly with both his knowledge and his stupid mind lightsaber. He’s starting to believe it was a poor choice in weaponry, especially since there were other weapons he was much more equipped to fight with. Usually it was a gun, or sometimes an iron dagger or sword. It depended on the opponent. 

The opponents here were a variety of creatures. Bill apparently didn’t care about what living things he was afraid of, since these monsters had various physical components that aroused his childhood disdain. For instance, a few creatures had on masks from this movie he’d watched with Mabel and Stan when he was eleven. The movie hadn’t necessarily been a kid’s movie, since it involved a cult, and the cult killed some people. It scared the living daylights out of his kid self, though Mabel was completely fine. Sometimes he swore his sister was fearless. That or she could just make anything into something positive. 

 

His sister was the person who probably mattered most to him, out of anyone and anything in the world. Mabel was his twin, and they had a bond that could never be broken. This included their allergies acting up at the same time. That really sucked for their parents when they had to buy two bottles of medicine at a time, especially since both of them needed the more expensive brands.  
Somehow they managed, however, to keep their children’s allergies under control without going bankrupt. Not very surprising, when he later thought about it. His parents were middle-class citizens, so it was clear that they did fairly well when it came to funding. How did he even start thinking about this stuff? It was no matter, since he was letting instinct take over his actions, but it was odd to him how he started in one place and ended in the other. Perhaps in another life he would have gone into psychology as a career. 

It felt like he’d been fighting all of these minor enemies forever, and it was getting easier and easier to handle the seemingly overwhelming number of them as the time went by. It was kind of like a game to him now, just as he was sure Bill intended. Any person who had seen a movie knew that the villain of the story built up the protagonist to pure confidence, and then crushed them with everything they had. Dipper would not let this happen to him. He would stay aware, no matter what Bill threw at him, powerful enemies or not so powerful enemies. He would handle all with utmost care and precision, as well as wariness. One can not be overpowered by his own ego. Good thing Dipper never really had one to start. 

Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. Dipper DID have an ego, it just wasn’t as present in his daily life as most people’s egos were. Yeah, that was a nicer way to put it.

“Think again, Pine Tree! You’re as egoless as a snake is spineless!” Bill’s voice echoed in the currently lit cavern. He’d had Dipper wandering through an infinite labyrinth of a tunnel system for a long time now. It felt like years, really. Though, everything did. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take, as simple as it seemed. 

Dipper had seen some things. Dipper had to do remember and reexperience things he thought he’d put to rest. Like burning his first (and last) hunting partner. Or watching Mabel almost get killed that one time. He’d even had to relive the experience of getting beaten up by a bunch of gang members that one time. Of course, he could have fought back, but it was a scary situation because he’d used all the ammo in his gun (not that he would have shot them, but warning shots would have been nice.) They were supporters of the demon he’d just banished, and they were far from happy that all their work, which included murder, vandalism, and a dangerously vicious mix of materials, had been for nothing.

But he hadn’t had to make very major moral decisions. Nothing was really screwing him up, like he thought it would be to start. However, as he’d been previously thinking, Bill was probably leading him up to something. To what, he was absolutely unsure. That was probably the most nerve wracking thing about this whole ordeal. He was truly out of control for the first time in his life, something Bill was readily ensuring he knew at all times. Actually, the constant reminder was extremely annoying, as everything else about the demon was. From his obnoxious yellow color to his high-pitched, almost piercing scream of a voice, there was no shortage of annoyance to be had.

But one day, Bill had stopped the game. Dipper figured that was the die he was going to die, especially if Bill twisted the rules, but the demon seemed to want to boast before his final trial. Or maybe he wanted to brag about how great of a demon he was. Either way, it was a well-needed break from the ceaseless battle. Dipper was exhausted mentally, though his body seemed to be completely fine besides a few gashes and bruises that he received as he fought. Blood-drawing wounds seemed to heal as soon as he killed the monster who caused them, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the ones that had scarred him actually did so. 

Maybe he would find out.


	8. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is about to learn why Bill hated Ford so much, what made him so weak in the end.
> 
> Meanwhile, tears seep into blue jeans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyy, I'm back at it again with the (ir)regular updates! 
> 
> Thanks to all of you who give me kudos and comment, it means a lot to me as a newer writer that I've managed to get some support!

Bill walked with Dipper down an endless corridor, one of many that seemed to come and go in Dipper’s mindscape. This was the one part of Dipper’s mind that the demon could completely control without a lick of resistance, and since day one the area had only grown. It had taken a much smaller amount of time than he thought, but he was used to being in Ford’s mind. Dipper was very different, and clearly more emotionally intact. This was something that only worsened the boy’s chances, but helped Bill immensely. 

“So, Pine Tree,” he announced, his voice echoing down the long hallway. “I bet you’re wonder just what I wanted to tell you this time.” He gave the boy no room to interject before speaking again. “I wanted to share my story with you, you see. I’ve found that you’re a worthy opponent, but just as cripple-able as any other mortal. So, I figure as a last laugh, I’d tell you what I’m doing here and why!” 

Dipper seemed to not be having any of it, but Bill knew that he has just piqued the man’s curiosity. Not just because he was aware of basically every single active thought he had, but also because his expression said the words for him. Ha! Dipper was just as readable as a piece of literature. It was almost a shame that Bill would have to push him into the back of his own mind and steal his body!

“Your great uncle Ford took something from me that I will never, ever be able to get back without millennia of hard work and complete dedication to my cause! What’s my cause, you didn’t ask? Complete and total chaos, as is any demon’s. Naturally, I’m more powerful than almost every other being across all dimensions and parallel universes, but even I need to fulfill my life’s purpose every now and again.” He hummed, stopping in his tracks and looking at the door next to him. Should they enter his forgotten memories? No, Bill knew where he was going, and he would rather not get completely sidetracked. 

His footsteps continued, and it had just occurred to him that Dipper was almost running to keep up with him. Sucks to be him, Bill wasn’t slowing down for anything. “Anyway,” he allowed himself to carry on the previous stream of thought, “I’m going to show you the fate that was ripped away from me, the one that I, Bill Cypher, rightfully deserved.” Yes, perfectly dramatic. Now Dipper’s interest was present ten-fold.

He said nothing more, his pacing just as even and impossibly fast. By the time they were entering where they needed to be, Dipper was almost running to keep up. Normally he wasn’t so adamant on going anywhere with Bill, but getting lost in his own mindscape was less than ideal. Even if it was his, this was Bill’s forte, and Dipper was hesitant to see what the demon could do to his mind. 

Though, it seemed that the area was starting to enlarge as they continued to walk, and the colors grew more vibrant. The original, muted tiles of the floor grew into an oil spill of triangles and symbols. The walls went from a brick red to a seemingly endless void of space, and Dipper took notice of the bright, glowing stars that littered the darkness. And, well, the crazy array of things that seemed to fly by the windows, including giant teeth. Though, the boundaries of the wall were established by multiple golden banners that hung on the walls, most depicting Bill’s triangular form surrounded by even more of the strange symbols that were etched into the floor. 

“This is your mindscape.” Dipper said, almost offhandedly. He’d barely noticed that the demon next to him had slowed down to allow for sightseeing. What he did notice was that Bill had a grin on his face that was as prideful as the sin itself. Obviously he could tell that Dipper was blown away, but that wasn’t all he was feeling. He didn’t know Bill even had a mindscape, and he didn’t know how he’d been given access to it without a deal, or something. It was bizarre.

“Yes, it is my glorious mindscape. Much more beautiful than your dull, organized one, since I have a higher brain capacity than human beings at any given time.” The demon couldn’t help but boast. “You’re here because I want you to be here. This is a small part of the grand scheme of telling you how much I hate your great uncle, the bastard he is. Now, if you would follow me,” Bill turned right, where the wall turned into a door. It was solid black, but lines of gold were etched into it, the border was covered with harpy teeth, and the center a cyclops eye. Maybe not the easiest door to look at.

Dipper turned and watched as it opened by itself, and Bill stepped inside only to be enveloped by a layer of black. It was like looking into a tinted mirror, or the surface of a colored pond. It was… unsettling. However, he had no choice but to enter, especially after a very unsettling, large hand wrapped itself around his wrist and pulled him in.

The darkness enveloped the both of them in an almost calming way, before it was completely disturbed by Bill changing the landscape. With the sound of laughter echoing around them, Dipper suddenly felt like he was falling, locks of his too-long hair blowing out in front of his face and his limbs moving up by themselves. He was completely limp, and found he had no control of his body. Bill fell next to him, shouting gleefully disturbing phrases as they continued down. 

The landscape itself was rapidly changing color and shape, and the hunter couldn’t help but think of the scene where Alice is going down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. It was much worse though, especially since Dipper thought he was going to vomit right then and there. The sudden slamming into a chair once he reached the bottom didn’t help him very much either, and he felt the bile rise up. 

“What a fabulous ride, yeah? I honestly wouldn’t replace that entrance into my memories for the world- Pine Tree? You still with me? C’mon, you can vomit now! We haven’t even gone to the hall of gruesome encounters yet!” Bill slapped Dipper’s back and the hunter coughed up a horribly disfigured chicken with bat wings. “Well, I guess they do say you are what you eat! Now let’s go,” Bill hoisted his guest up onto his shoulder and started walking through a hallway of doors, every single one had a name inscribed in blood. All except for the one they were heading towards.

Stanford Pines was inscribed in messy, jagged writing on a plank of wood. Of course, Dipper couldn’t see that from his upside-down position blocked by Bill’s far-too-long spine. All he could really see were the various doors behind them, and he got an idea of where they were heading. What was he going to see? Ford had told him what happened, but even Dipper knew that it was never the full truth. Would he be getting the same thing from Bill, or was this a third person perspective? 

…:-~-:...

“Hey Dip-dot.” A soft voice spoke over the beeping of monitors in a mostly empty hospital room. “I know it’s been awhile since I’ve come to visit you, but it’s been really hard.” The woman swallowed, taking a deep breath. “I really wish you’d wake up, you know? Ford says you’re going to be okay, but it’s getting harder to believe-” her voice cracked as she wiped away tears. 

Mabel had the tendency to get emotional when she was talking to Dipper. After all, it had been almost three years since he’d been able to carry the conversation. Ford always said that he would be fine, that the job he’d been on just so happened to go a little wrong. He wouldn’t say more than he knew what was happening, and it was starting to drive her crazy. 

Not even Pacifica could tame her distress, and Mabel could tell that it was starting to wear her poor girlfriend to the core. She didn’t deserve that, but Mabel knew that there was a piece to the puzzle that she’d been excluded from seeing. What was it? Why wouldn’t Ford tell her? She’d already lost Stan, she didn’t need to lose Dipper too. "Either way, I wish you'd come back." She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Don't make us live without you anymore." 

...:-~-:...

The conversation Dipper just heard repeated itself in his head so many times he thought his brain would explode. There was no way that Ford had been so cruel… there was no way that deal had been, even if it was deemed null by Bill’s banishment later on. There was no way that Ford asked for the world to end.


End file.
